Cruise policy underway Tonge says

A cruise ship at the port in Roseau
A cruise ship at the port in Roseau

Plans for a new cruise policy for Dominica are underway, Tourism Minister, Robert Tonge has announced.

In his Parliament presentation on the 2016/2017 budget debate, on Thursday, Tonge stated that the government is in the final stages of hiring a cruise consultant with whom they will collaborate, to ensure that “the way forward for cruise is going to be in the best interest of the country.”

He revealed that although officials have liaised with cruise executives, Dominicans must work together to ensure the success of suggested initiatives.

“We’ve been speaking with all the cruise executives, including those of the Florida cruise association. And, based on these things that we’ve been doing over the last couple of years, based on what we are going to put in place, they are very excited about those thing,” Tonge explained. “But, the important thing [is] that we as a community, we as a people, we must work together to get that done.”

Tonge went on to say that “some persons will be impacted negatively, but we cannot allow two persons to determine the fate of the entire country.”

Additionally, he stated that the number of cruise passengers coming to Dominica is expected to increase by as much as 15-percent.

“Last year, we had about 276,000 persons coming to Dominica, which was about 4-percent less than what we had prior… The numbers show that we had four vessels, with over 25,000 people…” Tonge divulged. “This year, for the season that is planned, we have 319,000 people expected… We’re looking at at least a ten to fifteen-percent increase in our numbers.”

In early May, Tonge blamed the low numbers for the 2015/2016 cruise ship season on challenges such as high winds, which resulted in seven cancelled ship calls.

At that time he also announced that several regulations will be implemented for the 2016/2017 cruise ship season.

Among these initiatives was the inclusion of a properly trained, and preferably multilingual tour guide on each tour bus, exclusive access at tourist attractions, at certain times, and a new dispatch system, with minimum tour rates.

It was also said that the Ministry sought to establish a holding area for buses to encourage order, to facilitate inspection of vehicles, and to reduce traffic congestion in the city.

Tonge commented that Dominica has high ratings of 8.7 for organized tours.

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11 Comments

  1. coyote
    August 1, 2016

    what about all de rubbish,vagrants and paro in de town?

  2. viewsexpressed
    August 1, 2016

    “Tonge stated that the government is in the final stages of hiring a cruise consultant with whom they will collaborate, to ensure that “the way forward for cruise is going to be in the best interest of the country.”..”

    The only concluding recommendation we expect from the consultant is the removal of the biggest impediment and obstruction to development in Dominica is Skerrit and his questionable inept, corrupt, Government. Good Bye…. “…..Bunch of Inept………….”

  3. viewsexpressed
    August 1, 2016

    Mr Tonge stated the following: (lol…lol…)

    “Tonge stated that the government is in the final stages of hiring a cruise consultant with whom they will collaborate, to ensure that “the way forward for cruise is going to be in the best interest of the country.”..”
    What we ailing Dominicans want as the Final Stage, is that the Consultant makes serious recommendation, in the best interest of Dominica and Dominicans that this corrupt led Skerrit government will take a cruise far away from the government and governance of Dominica. They have killed the industry, ran out of ideas, made Dominica poor, into dire poverty, communities are dead and lifeless of any development, let alone tourism, and the only attractive site we see in Roseau are the increasing vagrants and poor hungry and desperate people roaming the streets of the city.
    Skerrit and inept government has failed us Dominicans big time. It is time to go.

  4. G Dub
    July 31, 2016

    Am Dominican and I visited on a cruise in April. And this is my advice to the tourism minister: Try to avoid using the container port at Fond Cole. And if you have to, shut down port operations. The dual use looks very unpleasant and dangerous and the detour around the port works ,makes it a useless journey. The port buildings must be given a face lift. And try to find attractions within a 30 minute drive maximum. Tourist don’t really care for the long drive to see the Emerald Pool or Trafalgar Falls. Tour operators can make a short trip to show the Roseau river , for example,and charge the same as going all the way to Laudat. They could do up to 4 tours. They use less fuel,less wear and tear etc. And trust me, speak nice to them and they are fine.And finally , install a welcome to Dominica sign. There wasn’t a Dominica sign anywhere. There was the Dominica flag on the ship but nowhere on the island. ….and this is free, no consultant to pay.

  5. kewl
    July 31, 2016

    Mr Minister are you not reading the nasty and distasteful comments about Dominica? What is the reason for not having bathroom facilities for the passengers when they disembark? So long the government promised to use the D.E.X.I.A building or the ruins building what is the delay? So many passengers remain on the ships,don’t you know that?
    Every time, a story about stakeholders or putting policies in.place,Really!!
    Do you know how it feels when you encourage people to visit Dominica and on their return they say to you”I have no desire to return”. I was shown a video by one person and it was disgraceful. If there is no money ? let the populace know and maybe then we as a people can utilize our different skills to help the nation. Stop all this talk and just do, forget supporters being affected,it’s for the greater good of the country. Really and totally fed up,that’s not who we are? Dominicans are so much more better. Pleeeease get the ball rolling.

  6. July 30, 2016

    Tonge stated that the government is in the final stages of hiring a cruise consultant with whom they will collaborate, to ensure that “the way forward for cruise is going to be in the best interest of the country.”

    All a consultant can do is to state what is obvious to us all, beginning with the sad state of Roseau.

    But as always, an expensive consultant’s report from outside carries more weight than freely available sound advice from within.

  7. domichina
    July 30, 2016

    Tonge let’s buy a cruise ship. There are many many many people in Dominica who desire to go on a cruise but……. (finish the rest)

  8. FORKIT
    July 29, 2016

    robby cant you see your master if fixing all roads and drains in possie where he have his villas and lilac apartment… while rosea have the worst roads, open smelly drains and uneven broken sidewalks… what policy you talking about… you need to fix roseau making it an authentic french style creole attractive town…………….

  9. Hamber
    July 29, 2016

    Dominica’s cruise ship policy in a nutshell: give them whatever they want. Not much of a negotiating position, huh.

  10. forreal
    July 29, 2016

    question tourism minister tonge!!I am kinda baffled by the supposedly Chinese connection..why is the Chinese tourism market not being exploited by dominica,the Chinese tourism market is now seen as the largest right now,just recently Kenneth map who is the governor of the US virgin islands made a trip to china in other to secure Chinese tourism market to the virgin islands, map is even looking to put in place chinese restuarants and every other chinese establishments for their convienances,i am kinda taken back that we who actually got a chinese embassy in dominica does not have a great number of Chinese visitors,linton might have his mixed antiquities,but he has made some solid points in reference to tourism in dominica falling through the cracks in comparison to st kitts,who at one point was in the shadows of dominica,i was stunned by that so visible of a fact,why should dominica be second class to places like st lucia,st kitts and grenada?

  11. “In his Parliament presentation on the 2016/2017 budget debate, on Thursday, Tonge stated that the government is in the final stages of hiring a cruise consultant with whom they will collaborate, to ensure that “the way forward for cruise is going to be in the best interest of the country.”(Tongue).

    All sweet sounding garbage; rubbish, who is going to consult who? Tourist visits islands where they are respected, and not robbed in the streets. They go to places where dirty looking harass them for handouts: they go to islands where there are class restaurants, and other places of entertainment where they can sit and enjoy a presentable lunch or breakfast.

    Tourists are accustom to clean streets, and should not have to smell the stench of Roseau; if they wish to buy a souvenir in Dominica to take home it should not be marked “made in China or Hong Kong” The battle has long been lost, the garbage you speak is no help!

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